Putin says Russia, Turkey seek new Syria talks

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Russian President Vladimir Putin says that he and his Turkish counterpart are working to launch a new round of peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition — negotiations that would take place in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana.

Putin, who spoke on a visit to Japan on Friday, says that Ankara had helped broker the rebel exit from Aleppo that is currently underway. He says he and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are also working for an overall truce in Syria.

The Russian leader says that once the Syrian army secures control of all of Aleppo, civilians will be able to return to their homes.

It wasn't immediately clear if western-backed Syrian opposition would accept such a location for peace talks with President Bashar Assad's government.